Gone with the wind

I really do not like running when it's super windy outside. Sure, you feel great going in one direction, with the wind at your back, but going the other way it feels like running on the treadmill, because you're practically going nowhere. Only it's worse than running on the treadmill, because the wind is whipping leaves and other crap into your face.

Plus, if you're like me and have a bad haircut, it's nearly impossible to keep some of the strands under control. I never should have listened to the hairdresser when she called me a chicken for never doing anything "different" with my hair. I ended up with some long bangs that I can't do anything with! They're that annoying length that is just the tiniest bit too short to go into my ponytail. I'm thinking of getting a new hairdresser.

But anyway. Today when I went out for my run I stuck a few bobby pins and a thin elastic headband in my hair and hoped for the best. The wind was howling like crazy, and soon my bangs were flopping in my face. I felt the top of my head to make sure the bobby pins were still there, and they were. But the headband wasn't. I hadn't even felt it fly off! Now, granted, it could have been due in part to the fact that I have a giant head, and headbands have never fit me well. (It's true, I really do have a big head...my sisters and one mean boy used to call me bobble head).

I've decided to finally go ahead and order some Bondi Bands. Supposedly, they stay put, and wick sweat away, too, so you don't get any dripping in your eyes. Now I just have to decide which to order...I'm debating between three. Should I order the one that says "I love running; I hate running; I love running; I hate running." Or "Run now...wine later." Or "I run for chocolate." Or all three?

Does anyone have these? Do they work? Are they worth the $8 each?

Sparklies!

This post has NOTHING to do with running or triathlons, except for the fact that I now have something to worry about losing while I'm exercising.

 

That's right, I got ENGAGED on Friday!!!!!!!! (That definitely deserves 8 exclamation points). I've only been waiting for ohhhh 2 years or so. In our typical fashion, darling fiance (as he will henceforth be referred to) and I got engaged in our bathroom. Yes, our bathroom. You see, I was rushing around to get ready for a dinner he told me we were going to with a couple of his friends and their significant others. I was late getting home from work, in a lousy mood, and was in the bathroom straightning my hair and grumbling to myself about not wanting to spend the evening in mixed company. Darling fiance was in the kitchen and I called out to him that I planned on getting tipsy off of wine and initiating a serious conversation about "our future." Which I knew he would know meant I planned to nag him about not being engaged after dating for 3+ years. Well, right after the words were out of my mouth he appeared in the doorway of the bathroom, pulled the ring out from behind his back, and asked me to marry him, thereby eliminating the need for me to nag him all night (I still don't actually know if he had planned on proposing before dinner, or if he decided to do it on the spot then because he didn't want to listen to me complain all night). I spent about a solid minute doing the typical "OMG OMG ARE YOU SERIOUS IS THIS A DREAM OMG ARE YOU FOR REAL?" and squealing and jumping around. And then, we went to dinner (alone) and toasted our future with champagne and lots of food.

So there you have it. Darling fiance has warned me about 20 times already to take the ring off when I'm swimming, biking, or running because he doesn't have it insured yet and I'm notorious for losing things. I once lost a ring (NOT a diamond one) when I was getting ready for bed, and apparently took it off and absentmindedly threw it in the garbage instead of putting it in the jewelry box. Whoops.

That's OK, though. It'd be hard to get used to working out lugging all this extra weight around on my hand, anyway! 

For what it's worth, I do not plan to start using this blog to talk about wedding details. I may start a new, separate blog for that, so stay tuned for the link if you are interested.

P.S. Sorry for the relatively crappy picture. I got my camera stuck on some weird setting and can't figure out how to change it back.

Sneakers? What sneakers?

Yeah...I have what some may consider a "sneaker hoarding" problem. But I KNOW I am not the only one...in fact, I personally know a few people who have a far bigger collection than I do! It's just so hard to get rid of a pair of shoes that has served me so well (and cost me a pretty penny), and that I can use for other things after they're too worn out to run in. 

Pictured: 3 pairs of Asics Gel Cumulus 11s, 1 pair of Newtons, 1 pair of Vasque VST trail shoes, 1 pair of Brooks Defyance, 1 pair of Saucony ProGrid Triumph 5s, and 1 pair of Nike Air Zoom Elites.

Not pictured: 1 pair of Saucony ProGrid Triumphs that mysteriously disappeared one day (but I highly suspect darling boyfriend got ahold of them and threw them in the garbage), 1 pair of Asics Gel Cumulus 10s, also a boyfriend casualty (I got dog poop on them and left them on the stoop until it could dry out enough to flake off, but he thought I meant to throw them away....why would I do that???), and one pair of Sauconys (can't remember the model but they were red and black and made me look like Spiderman) that boyfriend convinced me to put in a shoe donation box.

Love: Asics Gel Cumulus (obviously), Newtons, Vasque VSTs.

Like: Saucony ProGrid Triumphs (but I got a stress fracture wearing my second pair of them so I'll never wear them again - superstition), Nike Air Zoom Elites (but they were a bit too wide for my foot, and also, they are discontinued).

Hate: Brooks Defyance (the inserts felt like they were made of concrete).

Potential uses for worn out sneakers: Cross training, yard work, walking the dog, squashing bugs, wearing with sweats when you need to leave the house unexpectedly, and annoying your boyfriend.

I don't know what I am going to do when our attic* runs out of space!

*I keep my clothes and shoes in the partially finished attic because we don't have enough closet space. Does anyone want to lend me $50,000 for renovations? I'll build a special cubby just for my retired sneakers.

A little lesson on shin splints

The thing about shin splints is...they royally suck. The "scientific" term for shin splints is medial tibial stress syndrome, but you don't really need to know that. All you need to know is that they hurt and they take a long time to heal. Although it feels a lot like the bone hurts, the pain is often caused by inflammation in the connective tissues that attach the muscles to the bone. Got that? 

Now, Google searches and some doctors will tell you that the "simple" (their word, not mine!) remedy for the common runner's ailment is R.I.C.E. That's Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. I'd like to add to that, but my acronym will change slightly. It's C.R.I.M.E.S. That stands for Compression, Rest, Motrin, Ice, Elevation, Strength. (They don't necessarily need to be done in that order, but I had to rearrange the letters to make an actual word).

Ask any runner if rest is "simple" and the answer will be a resounding NO! Not simple. Not at all. If my own experience is any indication, what a runner with shin splints will do is take a minimal amount of rest, and then overload on the rest of the recommended remedies in hopes of making up for it. Why rest? Well that one is obvious. Less stress on the shins = healing.

But what about the other suggestions? Well, compression (they make special socks/sleeves for this purpose) can stimulate circulation and support leg muscles and tissues to reduce impact and absorb trauma. Motrin reduces inflammation. Ice also reduces inflammation, and reduces pain. I'm not sure how it works, but apparently an inflamed, irritated muscle or tissue can lead to an accumulation of fluid, and elevating the lower legs to above heart level can reduce that. And finally, strengthening exercises for the calves and ankles can help prevent shin splints in the future, because stronger muscles lead to more stability, and can absorb shock, and reduce trauma.

If you're wondering why in the world I'm blathering on about shin splints, I'll clue you in - I have them. I know, sucks, right?

Here's a comprehensive list of the things I've tried to get rid of the nagging shin pain:

• Rest; first I took 2 days off from running. Yeah, 2 days was all I could mentally handle. Then, when that obviously wasn't enough, I took 5 days off. 5 days seemed to work better than 2. Duh.
• Ice; I tried a few different strategies. First, I plopped old-school lunchbox-style ice packs on my shins after running. When that didn't do much, I put a bunch of ice cubes into Ziploc bags and used those. That worked fairly well. But when I really got frustrated, I gave my shins ice baths. I filled a bucket (I used our mop bucket...shhh don't tell the darling boyfriend, he'd probably be grossed out that I stuck my sweaty, post-run feet into the bucket we use when cleaning our kitchen floor) with water and tons of ice, and soaked my shins for 10 minutes after every run. 
• Compression; never tried it. I spend lots of money on useless things, but calf sleeves isn't one of them.
• Elevation; well, I lay down a lot and sometimes I put my feet up. Does that count?
• Strength; I've read a lot about various strengthening exercises for the calves, and I've implemented some into my daily routine. I spell out the letters of the alphabet with my toes, do calf raises, and walk across the room on my heels, and then my toes.
• Motrin; I've got this one in the bag. Motrin before a long run, motrin after a short run. Ahhh, sweet, sweet relief.

There are other ways to prevent shin splints that are just common sense and don't apply to me. Replace shoes when they get worn out - check! I got new shoes at the first sign of shin pain, even though they only had about 200 miles on them and should not have needed replacing yet. Wear the right type of shoe for your foot and stride - check! I experimented with many, many different brands and models of sneakers before I finally settled on the Aasics Gel Cumulus line, and I went through three pairs with zero problems.

The moral of this story is: You can do everything right, and still get shin splints that you can't get rid of. W.T.F.??

These are a few of my favorite links

As you all have probably gathered from previous blog posts, including this one and this one, I like to shop. Like, really, a lot. It's weird, because I have zero fashion sense, but I do love scoring a good deal. If something was ridiculously ugly, but 50% off, I'd probably buy it, just in case I might need it someday. 

So, I thought I'd put together a list of some of my favorite websites that have served me well during my many deal-hunting sessions.* As a disclaimer, since I did just admit that I buy hideous things, there are many cute things on these sites - I'm just not trendy enough to figure out what they are and what the difference is. I'm sure you all are, though.

1.) Steep and Cheap, here is the link. Steep and Cheap is a "one deal at a time" site. Their motto is "One killer gear deal, one item at a time, until it's gone." They feature one item on their main page for a set length of time - usually 15 to 25 minutes - and then move on to the next deal. Did I mention that these items are anywhere from 30% to 80% off retail prices, and most are usually at least 45%-50% off?? They sell outdoor gear for running, biking, hiking, skiing, camping, and the like. They. Are. Awesome. And the site is addicting because you keep checking every 5 minutes to see what the current deal is. I once got a pair of CW-X compression tights, which normally retail for about $90, for $36.99 from this site. I'm currently awaiting the arrival of a pair of trail shoes I ordered - I got them for $45.99 and the cheapest I could find them elsewhere was $89. Check it out yourself, but I warned you - it is addicting.

2.) Bonktown. This site is very similar to Steep and Cheap, because it is "one deal at a time", but it only sells cycling gear. I actually found Bonktown by clicking on an ad on Steep and Cheap's page (damn effective advertising...my click probably earned Steep and Cheap a nickel, too). I haven't bought anything from Bonktown, but I'm absolutely positive that's going to change in the very near future. As I write this post, Bonktown's current deal is a Louis Garneau Dream Top cycling tank - retail price $79.95. What's it going for on Bonktown? $16.99. Come on people! That's a freakin' steal!

3.) Swim Outlet. Yep, I've posted about this site before, but I like it so much, it's getting a second shout-out. Swim Outlet is the home of the swimsuit grab bag, where I got my surprise pink and orange TYR suit for like $19.99 or something. If you're willing to take your chances on colors and patterns (and for these prices, you really should be) then you can get TYR and Speedo suits here for about 50% off of the retail prices (sure they might be last season's suits, but who cares? How much does a bathing suit really change over one season?). Aside from the whole grab bag deal, they have tonssss of other bathing suits, of every brand, for less than retail value. They also have all your swim accessories: goggles, swim training aids, sandals, etc. You could waste hours looking at everything on this site (I should know...I've done it). 

4.) Endless. OK, this is a deviation, because this site doesn't really have awesome deals, at least price-wise. BUT I decided it deserved to be mentioned because it's where I buy my running shoes. This is important, because I wear a ridiculously hard to find size and width. I have tiny feet and the only shoe I've been able to find that works for me is the Aasics Gel Cumulus, size 5, 2A width (that's extra narrow, in case you were wondering). It's seriously almost impossible to find this shoe and I'm guaranteed never to find it in a store. My local running store actually stopped carrying it because there "wasn't much demand for it." Huh. Imagine that. However, Endless always seems to have my shoe in stock, which is amazing. It's entirely possible that they just have a surplus because no one else in the world wears this size, and that after I've bought out their supply, I'll never find it again. Maybe someone from the Endless site will read this blog and realize how much I really, really need them to order more. Anybody? Hello??

5.) All 3 Sports. Yes, you guessed it, this is a site that sells triathlon gear. They pretty much have everything you could need for a triathlon, from bikes to wetsuits. The set-up is nothing fancy, just a whole bunch of items categorized by event and gender. My favorite page on the site is the "closeouts" page. That's exactly what it sounds like - going once, going twice, closeout deals. What I like to do is go to the store, try things on, and then check All 3 Sports to see if I can find whatever I liked at a better price. It's a good site for shoes and wetsuits, if you know exactly what you're looking for. I got a pair of fleecy Sugoi tights from All 3 Sports for the low, low price of $25.99.

So, there you have it. My top 5 favorite sites for indulging in retail therapy. If you're wondering why I didn't post any sites for buying real, actual clothes, then you weren't paying enough attention at the beginning of this post. I have no fashion sense. This is the stuff I wear out in public...

*None of these sites asked me to endorse them, nor did they send me any free stuff. If they want to send me free stuff, by all means, they should and I will kiss their asses even more.

March in review

I can't believe we're already 1/4 of the way through 2010! Where does the time go? I don't like that it goes so much faster the older I get. 

Anyway, here are the totals for the month of March:

Swim total: 5,400 meters/3.375 miles

Bike total: 195 minutes/3.25 hours

Run total: 57.5 miles

Strength training: 130 minutes/2.17 hours

Races: 0

I'm feeling very "eh" about this month of training. I wonder if there will ever be a month I'm satisfied with? I did increase my running mileage, which is good, since I'm aiming to run a half marathon in June. I swam almost exactly the same distance in March that I did in February, and that's actually OK, because my regular pool was closed, meaning I had to try to swim in a different pool, with less convenient hours, and pay an extra $5 per session. I'm glad I just managed to maintain. Biking...I have no excuses for how far below my goal I fell this month. I got extremely bored with the indoor trainer, but even once the weather warmed up and I took it outside, I got bored with my limited options. Hopefully over the next few months I can find other people to ride with so I can hit the bike paths that aren't the safest to ride on alone. Strength training also took a big hit, though I'm not as worried about that as I am about my three main focuses.

On to April!